Do you think that bringing up artifacts from the Titanic amounts to grave robbing?

Question

I want to know what you think about Titanic Inc. bringing up artifacts from the Titanic. Is it grave robbing or is it science? I will post a follow-up question when I get a few answers.

O.K. Here is the follow up question. It is mainly poised at those who akin it to grave robbing. "If your view is that bringing up artifacts from the Titanic is "grave robbing" then would that not also hold true for The World Trade Centers?"

By the way "LodiTX" contrary to your "assumption" I am in favor of bringing up articles from the Titanic.

Answer 1

I would say that it depends on what happens to the artifacts when they are removed. If they are making their way into private collections, as momentos or trinkets, then yes, it would be disrespectful to have a few select people benefit from the loss of others.

However, if said artifacts are going to be used to further public knowledge on the tragic events that surrounded the sinking of the Titanic, then no, I wouldn't consider it grave robbing since in the interest of furthering public education on the sinking are taken into consideration.

Answer 2

After the movie "The Titanic" the world got a whole new look and perspective to the graves of thousands of people and of a magnificent ship. The final scene when she drops the necklace into the water says it all. What is there belongs to the deep -- but archeology of the ocean is happening, and we are finding treasures that show where cities once thrived. The Titanic falls into that category, because really nothing can be hidden forever.

Answer 3

This can become a very complicated question. Certainly from the perspective of a survivor, the watery grave of the titianic is grave robbing or the equivelant. The Titianic and other events in history have grabbed the attention of people...If we want to learn about Egyptians, American indians or the titianic we go to where the forensic information is...in the ruins of civilization and the perserved relics of the graves. I vote we collect our history while we can.

Answer 4

It is a valid historic site. And any true archaeology done there is acceptable.

Where it turns into grave robbing is if they are bringing these artifacts up for resale or other forms of profit.

Answer 5

No it is not robbery. Since it was a sinking of a ship it was not an intended grave if it was then it would be robbery. By removing parts and artifacts it may help further science and provoke intrest in history.

Answer 6

Jeez, I'm so sick of that old whine; you sound as hypocritical as Bob Ballard. He calls it a "sacred" site and talks about lost souls, etc. and demands that no more artifacts be retrieved at the same time he is gleefully gloating over Mediterranean shipwrecks he finds and plunders of anything he can recover in the name of archeology.

What makes a shipwreck "sacred"; the amount of time that has passed, whether or not one knows the names of the people who died on it, whether are not those people were white and/or American or European?

Were the "souls" of the people who died in an ancient shipwreck any less lost than those of the people who died on the Titanic?

Please, I don't believe in souls, but even if I did, they are gone; whether to heaven or Valhalla or whatever afterlife gives you peace to think about, or just having ceased to exist. It doesn't matter to them anymore.

I give carte blanche to everyone and anyone to dig me or any of my relatives up when we die, if you think there would be anything remotely interesting about that. (Actually I have plans to be cremated because I think embalming and funerals are barbaric and only for the living to expiate guilt and for funeral directors to make lots of money.)

Answer 7

I belive no one is allowed to go to the Titanic anymore, its begging to fall apart (more than it already has because of toursim, like peop getting MARRIED there. Yeah, dumb idea.), and I think the people who can bring it up, have permision. So its mostly for science and historical data. We want to know what life on the ship was like, and since no one that lived really wanted to talk, and are dying, we must go or do really really through reshearch.

Answer 8

To bring up some artifacts for display purposes only is fine.

The ship is deteriorating so I feel it si OK to trtirieve some, but not ALL of it

Answer 9

It's not grave robbing. No one chose to be there when they died, like they would if they had a coffin. Plus, there's a lot of historical information there.

Answer 10

Science. And history. They need the information to find out what really happened. That's not robbery, that's archaeology.